NEW YORK – The off-season for many NCAA Division I athletic
teams and athletes includes a variety of duties that can range from extra
classes, workouts, individual instruction and internships, but an often
overlooked aspect to team building is community service efforts. For the third
straight year, the Columbia men’s soccer team came together as a complete squad
to help raise funds for the Cycle for Survival organization.

Cycle for Survival was founded in 2007 with the goal of
raising money for rare cancer research. According to the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), a “rare cancer” is one with a prevalence
of fewer than 200,000 affected individuals in the United States. Cycle for
Survival provides participants an opportunity to help fund research and
treatment options through the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The
organization donates 100 percent of the funds raised to MSKCC, with the money
being allocated to a specific initiative within six months of a given Cycle for
Survival event. The benefits have been realized in $31.2 millions dollars
raised, funding 53 clinical trials and research studies.

The Columbia men’s soccer team has felt
a personal connection to Cycle for Survival since participating in its first
event three years ago.

“We originally became involved because
our ex-assistant coach, Tommy McMenemy, played league soccer with the founder,
whose wife passed away from cancer two summers ago, so it felt personal from
the beginning,” said junior midfielder Steven Daws. “The guys get really into
it, and this year we were able to raise $1,364 for leading cancer research at
MSKCC.”

With continued support from teams like
Columbia men’s soccer, as well as major corporations that include Deutsche Bank
and JP Morgan, Cycle for Survival has went from raising $250,000 in its first
year to $13.8 million in the last fiscal year.

The continued growth of the event, in
conjunction with the physical requirement, has inspired the men’s soccer
program to continue its prideful participation. This year's event was held at Equinox: Greybar
in Midtown Manhattan on Sunday, March 3.

“Through Cycle, I think the team has
found inspiration in fighting for a cause that has touched all our lives in
some way,” commented Daws, who is responsible for team community service and
outreach. “We acknowledge the enormous need for developments in the fight
against cancer and the motivation to contribute comes quite naturally. The
enthusiasm and energy of the event's organizers and participants is truly
remarkable. Cycle has grown so much during our involvement, raising
almost $14 million this year and we just feel privileged to have been a small
part of it. We are already looking forward to round four.”